Canopy for horses.



PATENTBD NOV. 6, 1906.

G. H. TAYLOR. 'GANOPY FOR HORSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14,1906.

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PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

G. H. TAYLOR. CANOPY FOR HORSES.

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UNITED STATES GEORGE H. TAYLOR, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CANOPY FOR HORSES.

Specificatiomof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed M y 14, 1906. Serial No. 316,822.

To on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canopies forHorses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to canopies for covering a horse hitchedbetween shafts to protect the animal from the hot rays of the sun.

his the object of the invention to provide a simply-constructed,efficient, and readilyoperated canopy for the purpose specified.

The invention consists of a canopy supported on three bows spread at thetop to an extent that will reach over the horses head and extend back asfar as or over his tail. The said bows converge at the shafts on eachside and are there pivoted on a supporting-iron extending for somedistance along the shafts on a line preferably outside, where they willbe out of the way of the traces and other parts of the harness. Meansare provided for keeping the canopy from pitching forward over the headof the horse and from folding back without intention. Jointed metallicstraps in the nature of toggle-levers are connected with the bows on theinside slightly above their converging-point to effect the spreading orstretching of the bows and for folding them together and letting themdown behind the horse when desired.

The invention will first be described in detail in connection with theannexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, and then bepointed out with particularity'in the subjoined claims.

It will of course be understood that the present invention is of equalvalue as a protector against both rain and sun.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the invention in placeover a horse hitched in shafts. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewwith the horse out of the way. Fig. 3 shows the canopy as closed andthrown back. Fig. 1 shows the canopy as fully distended and adjustedbackward, and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the shaft andits immediately-connected parts in the plane of the headed bolt shaft.

Like figures of reference designate like parts or features, as the casemay be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, 5 designates the shafts of a vehicle, to the sides ofwhich irons 6 for the support of the canopy are secured. At about acentral point longitudinally of the said irons 6 they are provided withan eye 7 to receive a headed bolt 8 for pivoting the converging ends ofthe bow-irons 9, three in number, one, 10, extending in a hem of therear edgeof the canopy from the pivotingpoint on a shaft on one siderearwardly over the horse and forwardly on the other side to the otherpivoting-point. Another bow 11 extends from' the pivoting-point on oneside to the pivoting-point on the other side, at the top stretching outso as to cover the head of the horse. The third bow 12 is arrangedintermediate of the other two from one pivoting-point to the other overthe back of the horse.

Near the lower ends of the middle how 12 there are four straps 13, 14, 15, and 16, of iron, pivotally connected in the nature of togglelevers.The outer straps 13 and 14 at their outer or lower ends are pivotallyconnected pivoting the canopy to the with the outer bows 10 and 1 1, andthe two inner straps 15 and 16 at their point of meeting with the upperends of the outer straps are connected with the latter by a simple pivotat each meetingpoint. The said inner straps 15 and 16 are pivotallyconnected and beside are connected by a thumb-screw or equivalent devicewith the center bow 12 by means of a slot extending vertically throughthe said center bow, so that when the bows are separated as far aspossible to distend the canopy the thumb-screw may be loosened and thepoint of connection of the inner ends of the central straps of thetoggle-levers, with the central bow 12 raised, since the operation lastmentioned will tend to straighten the last-mentioned straps, so thatthey will come nearer to extending in the same horizontal plane. Whenthe canopy is distended and the toggle-levers are brought into properposition accordingly, the-thumb-screw will be tightened, and so hold thecanopy in its distended position. Should it bedesired to close thecanopy, the thrlmb-sc'rewylj will be loosened, and by bringing the bowstogether the pivotal connection of the toggle-levers with the center bowwill be lowered and fixed so that the canopy can be laid fully back outof the way. (See Fig. 3.)

Jointed straps 18 on each side are pivotally connected at their lowerends with the rear ends of the side irons 6, and at their upper-endsthey have a like connection with the rear bow. This provision keeps thecanopy from tipping forward farther than is necessary to make it coverthe head of the horse, as shown in Fig. 1, and yet by breaking the jointof the levers 18 inward the canopy can be tipped back in eitherdistended or closed position, so as to rest on the rearward portion ofthe shafts.

The manner in which the bows come together or converge at their lowerends and are there pivotally connected is shown quite clearly in Fig. 4.

The toggle-levers at the sides are simple in construction andarrangement and are readily and easily manipulated, though they performimportant functions in the invention, as may be gathered from thedescription of the same.

The material composing the canopy may be a fabric of any kind suited tothe pur p0seas, for mere example, gloria-cloth, which is sometimes usedas umbrellacoverings, or material even less expensive and the metallicparts may be composed of iron or steel or other suitable metal.

. The manner of using the invention and its oflices, it is believed,have been sufficiently described in the foregoing so as to besufficiently well understood by those skilled in the art to make and useit. It is to be noted, however, that changes may be made in the 40 formand arrangement of parts within the limits of mechanical skill withoutdeparting from the general nature or spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as the invention is- 1. In a horse-canopy, thecombination with the shafts and supporting-irons secured to the shafts,of folding bows for supporting the canopy and secured thereto and havingtheir ends converged at a single point on the shaft-irons to which theyare pivoted, and toggle-levers having a pivotal connection with the bowsabove their pivotal connection with the shaft-irons.

2. In a horse-canopy, the combination with the shafts, andsupporting-irons secured to the shafts, of three folding bows for supporting the canopy and secured thereto and having their ends convergedat a single point on the shaft-irons to which they are pivoted,

and a jointed rod on each side pivotally con nected at one end to therear bow and at its other end to the shaft-iron.

3. In a horse-canopy, the combination with the shafts, three bows, thecanopy-cloth, the front and rear bows being secured in the hem of thecloth, and the central bow extending beneath the same, with shaft-irons,the ends of the bows being arranged in converging order on theshaft-irons upon which they are also pivoted, toggle levers connectedwith the bows above their pivotal point and having adjustable connectionwith the cen tral bow, whereby the canopy can be folded or distended.

In testimony whereof I afhX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR A. JOSEPH, FREDRIOKE JAMES.

